You're Lucky to Have Me
by L. Greene
Summary: A series of events in the lives of longtime friends Nepeta Leijon and Equius Zahhak. Starts twelve years before "Coming to Terms," all events in canon.
1. Chapter 1

**Starts off fluffy, ends kind of sadly. Be warned that this is in canon with my college AU "Coming to Terms" (just set twelve years before and featuring only the meowrails) so all spoilers for that apply here.**

* * *

Nepeta woke up to her kitten, Miss Pounce de Leon, licking her face, and she giggled and batted her away. "Shoosh!"

She threw off her covers and dashed to her closet, picking out a lime-green T-shirt and a pair of jeans and wriggling into them on the floor as fast as she could while Miss Pounce de Leon played with her long white-blond hair and _meow_ed petulantly. "Aw, did no one feed you, Miss?" she asked, rolling over from her back to her stomach. "Come on, I'll feed you!"

Miss Pounce de Leon _meow_ed happily and darted out of the room, and as soon as Nepeta stuffed her feet into her beloved blue sneakers, she chased Miss Pounce de Leon down the hall to the kitchen and practically threw herself into her chair.

"You don't need to run everywhere," her mother chastised her gently.

"Shoosh!" She made a face at her little sister, five-year-old Meulin, who flung a piece of cereal at her with her spoon.

"Hey! Eat your food, don't play with it. And Nepeta, stop teasing your sister."

Nepeta bowed her head, looking suitably penitent until her mother set a bowl of cereal in front of her. Then she ate as fast as she could, slopping milk onto the table.

Meulin ate more genteelly, but not much. She was five, after all. There wasn't much a five-year-old could do politely. Their mother tutted at the mess but didn't actually say anything until Nepeta looked up from her bowl, belched loudly, and announced, "All done!"

Her mother smiled. "Really? Are you in a hurry to be somewhere!"

"Mom!" she whined. "You know what day it is!"

"Do I?" she asked innocently. "What day _is_ it?"

"It's Legoland Day!" she said excitedly. "Legoland! Legoland!"

"Is it? I hadn't noticed. Isn't there something else you meant to do?"

"Um..." She thought hard and then her gaze landed on Miss Pounce de Leon. "Oh! Where's Miss Pounce de Leon's food?"

"Where it always is." Mrs. Leijon tapped the counter underneath the sink with her foot, and Nepeta scrambled out of her seat to hunt for the bag of cat food. She found it and poured a bit too much into Miss Pounce de Leon's food bowl, but the cat wasn't about to complain. She _meow_ed in gratitude and Nepeta put away the cat food.

"Meulin, hurry up and finish your breakfast. We need to take Nepeta to school early," their mother said. "Nepeta, do you have your jacket?"

"It's in my room!" she said, dashing back the way she came.

"Don't run in the house!" her mother called after her, but Nepeta ignored her. When she returned, she had her blue zip-up hoodie on over her shirt and she bounced excitedly.

"Can we go _meow_? Can we go _meow_?"

Mrs. Leijon had just finished washing out both of her daughters' bowls and was in the middle of helping Meulin into her jacket. "Just a minute, honey." She zipped up the coat and got to her feet. "Okay, let's go to the car. Nepeta, don't forget your lunch."

Nepeta grabbed her lunch bag out of the fridge and ran out the front door as her mom unlocked the car. Nepeta climbed in and waited impatiently until Meulin and Mrs. Leijon were buckled in. "Let's go!"

"Calm down, honey, we'll get there."

It wasn't soon enough for Nepeta's liking.

* * *

When they arrived at the school two hours before classes started, there was already a small cluster of third-graders, both from her class and the other class at the school, and their parents hanging around the bright yellow school bus that would take them to Legoland. Nepeta went to say hello to her best friend Vriska and the two of them immediately started gushing with excitement about the field trip. They hoped they'd be able to sit together.

Vriska's mother and older sister left shortly after the Leijons arrived, but Nepeta's mother and sister lingered until their teachers started calling out seating assignments. They'd decided that the children would sit boy-girl and actually mix up the classes, so while Vriska ended up sitting next to a boy named Erik Foster from their own class, Nepeta was told to sit with a boy from the other class named Equius Zahhak. She had no idea what he looked like until the tallest third-grader she'd ever seen in her life emerged from behind his father. He slouched, although, as he was a head taller than anyone else at just about five feet tall, it didn't do anything to make himself blend in. He had incredibly dark skin but impossibly blue eyes, and judging by the way his eyes darted here and there and he didn't quite meet her eyes, he was extremely shy. She immediately liked him.

"Hi, Equius!" she said brightly. "I'm Nepeta!"

The boy looked anxiously up at his father. "Go on, say hi to her," he said.

"H-hello, Nepeta," he said nervously. He tried to shrink into his olive-green jacket that seemed a little long in the sleeves but fit properly everywhere else.

"Come on," she said, snatching his sleeve, "let's go find a seat!"

He followed obediently and they waved at their parents as they climbed onto the bus. She went toward the back, where the bumps were the best, tugging Equius along. "You can sit by the window if you want."

"Thank you," Equius said quietly. He slid into the seat and she plopped down next to him.

"So you're in the other class, huh?"

He shook his head. "No. I believe it is _you_ who is in the other class."

She furrowed her brows and then laughed. He was trying to be funny. "Maybe I am! So why are you so tall?"

He shrugged. "My mother says it's because I drink a lot of milk. It makes me strong."

Nepeta stuck out her tongue. "That's stupid! I drink milk all the time and I'm the shortest girl in my class!"

"Maybe you should drink more," he suggested innocently.

"Hmm. _Purr_haps I should." She grinned. "Do you have any pets?"

Equius nodded solemnly, fidgeting with his sleeves. "My family owns several horses," he admitted.

Her eyes nearly bugged out of her head. "_Horses_?" she said incredulously. "Wow-wee, you must be rich! I heard horses are real expensive!"

He nodded again. "They are. But they're very nice to me. My father says I have a way with them. I'm not sure what means, though."

"I think it means like when you talk, they seem to listen. My mom says the same thing about me and cats."

"You have cats?"

"Well... just one right now. Her name is Miss Pounce de Leon. My mom says she might get my little sister one for her birthday in a few years, but she says we can't afford another right now. But every cat I ever met seems to like me."

"Really? That's—"

"Shoosh!" She put her hand over Equius's mouth as a few of the parents, including Equius's dad, went all the way to the back of the bus and their teachers stood at the front of the bus to tell them what the Very Important Rules were.

"Alright, children, I know we're all very excited for the field trip to Legoland—" The kids cheered, and Nepeta's teacher waited until the noise died down. "But we have some rules for field trip etiquette."

Nepeta didn't know what etiquette was, but it sounded boring.

"First, keep your hands, feet, and other body parts in the bus at all times. Second, the student you're sitting next to is your field trip partner. Stay with your partner. Don't let them get lost—keep an eye on them."

"You're lucky to have me," Nepeta said quietly. "I'm a great partner!"

"Third, we will be leaving the park at exactly four o'clock this afternoon so we can get back by six this evening. Fourth, stay with your chaperone! There's ten of them and sixty of you, so don't wander off! Now, is everyone ready?"

The students cheered again, and a few minutes later, they were off to Legoland.

The bus roared off and Nepeta kept up a steady stream of chatter, growing emboldened as Equius seemed to relax the more she talked. He definitely looked less shy and anxious, and he responded to her questions with subtly deadpan comments that, if she were to take them seriously, might make him seem like an idiot. But she realized that he had a very understated sense of humor and when she laughed at what were almost certainly jokes delivered unsmilingly, the corners of his mouth twitched in a small grin. She became determined to see a real, full smile on his face before the end of the day.

* * *

Soon enough, though, she drifted off to a light catnap and rested her head on his shoulder (which she could barely reach, but he'd slouched in his seat to make it easier for her). She put her feet up on the seat and curled up her body to nuzzle into his shoulder, and he put his arm around her.

He remained awake, though. He felt it to be in poor form for both partners to fall asleep at the same time, so he took the first watch, so to speak, even though he really didn't know what someone on watch did.

She awoke from her nap to the sound of Equius's horrified gasp. It felt like it happened all at once—suddenly, Equius was moving over her, out of the seat, and something slammed into the side of the bus, sending them along with their classmates flying into the other side. Screaming filled the air from children and adults alike, and Nepeta hit the far wall, Equius still curled around her. She whimpered even as she and the bus stopped moving for a moment, and then with the great creaking of buckling metal, the bus lifted off its right-side tires and slowly, slowly, and then more quickly, tipped over.

Somehow, Equius managed to twist them both so he landed against the wall as the side of the bus finally connected with the concrete and, for good this time, stopped. Glass broke as the bus touched down, and the screaming and crying of children persisted in Nepeta's ears until she wriggled her arms out of Equius's grip and covered her ears. She wanted to cry, too—she had no idea what had happened, she was terrified, was it really over?-but she burrowed into Equius's chest and whimpered until she heard a voice floating over the chaotic din.

"Equius? _Equius?!_" It was his father, and Nepeta pulled her hands away from her ears to shout, "He's over here!" She twisted around to look at Equius—but his eyes were closed. "Equius?" she whispered, shaking him slightly. "Equius? Please wake up. Please wake up," she pleaded.

She knew about Death. She knew that sometimes people went to sleep and never woke up. That's what had happened to Daddy, and now Equius might be...

She wouldn't allow herself to think it. She heard sirens off in the distance and she became slowly aware of a dull ache throughout her body, but Equius hadn't opened her eyes and she shakily extracted herself from his grip and stood up carefully.

Then, after a terse second, Equius's chest moved and she heard, faintly, the sound of his breathing. Someone was approaching, slowly, picking their way carefully between children, seats, murmuring comforting words as they passed, but still pressing on, and then Mr. Zahhak was at her side, dropping to his knees to look over his son.

After a few moments, after gingerly checking for any injuries and seemingly satisfied, he turned to Nepeta. "Are you okay? Hurt anywhere?"

"My back," she said. "And... kind of everywhere."

"A little or a lot? Scale of one to ten?"

"About a two? My neck is a four."

"Alright. You're probably fine, but when the paramedics get here, they'll check you and everyone else out." He cupped her cheek, patted her head. "You're Equius's partner, right?"

Nepeta nodded, biting on her lip. Now that the shock was wearing off, she felt like crying again.

"It's okay. It's okay. Just sit down. I'm going to look around, get the adults together, check for hurt students. I'll be back. Everything will be okay. Stay with him. Make sure he keeps breathing, okay?"

She nodded again, sinking to sit cross-legged beside Equius.

"Good. I'll be back, I promise." He patted her shoulder. "He's lucky to have you."

Nepeta wasn't so sure, but she sat quietly as Mr. Zahhak moved on. She wasn't sure why, but he had somehow decided to try to protect her when whatever had hit the bus impacted. If it hadn't been for her, he wouldn't be lying here unconscious right now.

She drew her knees up to her chest and watched him breathe, taking his hand and squeezing, until emergency responders arrived to take control of the situation.

* * *

Mercifully, there were no fatalities from the bus or from the truck that had struck them. No one was seriously injured, either—Equius woke up shortly before the paramedics arrived—but a piece of broken glass had lodged in Vriska's eye causing her to lose it at the hospital, and a boy from Equius's class named Tavros was confined to a wheelchair for a few months until both of his broken legs healed.

But both Nepeta and Equius's lives changed that day, because after Vriska spurned every single one of her former friends after the accident, all of them a bitter reminder of what she'd lost, Nepeta had found a new best friend in Equius Zahhak, and Equius for the first time had a real friend, and they were both grateful to have each other.

* * *

**This fic will probably be updated more slowly than the others-just as inspiration strikes.**


	2. Chapter 2

**OH GOD I DID A BAD THING BUT I COULDN'T FUCKING HELP IT I MISS EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS 'VERSE AND I MISS WRITING HOMESTUCK FANFICTION BUT I'M LIKE TEN THOUSAND WORDS SHORT OF WHERE I SHOULD BE ON MY ACTUAL NOVEL RIGHT NOW *SOBS***

**(psssst many thanks to OrigamiPuppetBombs, iDreamBig, The Vampire Avatar, Rand0mAn0nym0us, and CatastrophicAquarius for your reviews to the last chapter!)**

* * *

"I've never seen him take to anyone so fast," Mr. Zahhak murmured to Mrs. Leijon as Equius took off running toward Nepeta.

Nepeta's ears perked up and she twisted around to regard the charging boy. She jumped up, let out an animal shriek, and timed her pounce perfectly, leaping off her toes and slamming her palms into Equius's shoulders. She swung her legs forward as he tumbled beneath her and she effortlessly finished leapfrogging over him, landing on the floor and spinning around three feet away. "Ha! Try again, _Meow_ster Zahhak!"

Equius flipped over, grinning, although he rubbed his stomach where he'd belly-flopped onto the carpet. "Extremely clever, Miss," he said.

"I'm sure it's fine," Mrs. Leijon said quietly. They watched as Nepeta pounced again, throwing her arms around Equius's neck and swinging around until she was riding him piggyback style, her feet locked together around his middle and her arms tight around his shoulders. "I'm just a little concerned about the rough-housing," she added.

"He _is_ strong for his age," Mr. Zahhak admitted. With one hand, Equius unlocked her feet, and with the other, he reached around and yanked by her shirt. She clawed at his olive-green jacket to stay put but didn't quite manage, and he deftly plucked her off him and set her on the floor. Nepeta pouted and stuck her tongue out at him. They glared at each other for several long moments before her face split into a grin and she grabbed him by the hand. They dashed into the small backyard, and Mrs. Leijon and Mr. Zahhak exchanged glances.

He closed the front door behind him and followed her to the window in the kitchen that overlooked the backyard. "They get along really well," she commented, mostly to herself. "And she hasn't had anyone over to play in awhile. Not since..."

"The accident?" Mr. Zahhak ventured. It had been a month, but it was still difficult to think of how close they'd come to losing their children. The fact that none of them had died was a miracle—although it was devastating that the Serket girl lost her eye, but at least the Nitram boy would be able to walk again.

"Yeah." Mrs. Leijon nodded. "You know, Vriska Serket used to be Nepeta's best friend. She was a bit rough with Nepeta, too. Not like this—more emotionally. She has a way with words that..." She sighed. "I don't know how third-graders can get so vicious. Nepeta's always been well-liked at school, but some of these kids... the stories she told me..."

Mr. Zahhak lowered his gaze, nodding in agreement. "Equius puts people off, I think. It's unfortunate, because he's a truly sweet boy. But the way he talks... he's rather formal. Talking to him feels more like addressing a college student than an eight-year-old. He calls me 'Father,' for God's sake."

"And his height."

"His height, too. His older brother is on the tall side, too, but he wasn't five feet tall in the third grade." Nepeta was currently attempting to scale Equius, her fingers digging clawlike into his jacket until she pulled herself up to stand on his shoulders.

"Oh, my G—can he—?" Mrs. Leijon spluttered, starting toward the door.

"Her weight shouldn't be too much for him, but if she falls..." Mr Zahhak said, heading after her.

"She isn't going to fall. Well, she might, but she always lands on her feet. She took gymnastics since she was four—she only stopped last year because she thought they weren't teaching her enough."

Mr. Zahhak chuckled. As if on cue, Nepeta backflipped off Equius's shoulders and landed in the grass, tucking her body so she rolled before springing to her feet. "Looks like they taught her enough."

"She learned that on her own. She's had more bumps and bruises and skinned knees than I care to remember."

"Hospital trips?"

She chuckled softly and shook her head. "No, thank God. It appears she's made of stronger stuff than most little girls."

"No offense, but she doesn't look the type to run around in dresses and have tea parties."

"None taken. Honestly, I..." Mrs. Leijon nodded. "I think it was her father's influence. He had a tendency to treat her like a boy—he would always wrestle with her when she was a toddler. Meulin was his princess, but Nepeta was his tomboy."

"Was?"

"He... he died two years ago."

"I'm so sorry to hear that."

Underfoot, Miss Pounce de Leon streaked out the back door and began rubbing against Equius's ankles. Even though it was after Thanksgiving, the boy still wore cargo shorts under his jacket. Nepeta dropped to the grass and scooped the cat into her arms, peppering her with kisses.

"It's... Well, I wish I could say it was alright, but we're managing. That's the best we can hope for. She still misses him. So does Meulin. So do I," she added quietly.

He peered at her, concern written all over his face, and gingerly reached out to pat her shoulder. "I can't even imagine how I would get on if my wife died," he murmured.

"It's Hell. Absolute Hell."

* * *

"Your mother looks sad," Equius observed. He'd glanced up to look through the kitchen window to see her mother and his father talking.

Nepeta looked up, too, keeping Pounce cradled in her arms. "She's always sad lately. Ever since the accident, she's been sad a lot."

"Why?"

Nepeta hadn't really thought about it before now, but since Equius had brought it up, she couldn't chase the puzzle from her mind. "Well... the adults were saying how it was a miracle we all lived, right?"

"Yes. My parents exchange such sentiments frequently."

"Well, I think that my mom was worried for awhile that I was killed in the accident. I mean, before she found out we all lived."

"I suppose that's enough to make her sad."

Nepeta nodded, an idea forming in her head. "And now she keeps thinking, what would have happened if I _did_ die? Daddy died, so how would she handle it if I died, too?"

Equius gave her a shocked look. "Your father is dead?"

"Yeah. I never talk about him—what did you think happened?"

"I... suppose I assumed your parents were divorced. I didn't want to ask about it, though. It's not my place to intrude."

Still holding onto Pounce (who was very accepting of the fact that an eight-year-old was manhandling her), Nepeta scooted sideways until she climbed into Equius's lap. He instinctively put his arms around her and she settled back against his chest, petting Pounce.

"I'm sorry to hear about your father," he added quietly. He began petting her hair, much in the same way that she was petting her cat.

"It's okay. I miss him, but I know he wouldn't want us to spend a long time missing him. He would want us to keep moving. I think he was watching out for our bus the day of the accident."

"You think so?"

"Yeah. And I think... maybe something bad was supposed to happen to me, but it didn't. He made sure that you were my field trip partner so I wouldn't get hurt."

Equius rested his chin on her head for a moment in contemplation. Certainly before the field trip, he had barely noticed her. He would have felt bad for it, but most of his time had been spent avoiding everyone and hiding in the bathroom during recess. He doubted she'd noticed him, either. Whether Nepeta was right or if it was just their teachers deciding they needed to mix up their students, though, he was grateful they had been assigned together. Even if the accident hadn't happened, they probably would have had such a good time at Legoland that they would have become friends anyway, but the accident had just cemented the bond.

Nothing forges friendship like near-death experiences.

"Then everything worked out for the best."

"I still feel really bad _fur_ _Whisker—_" That had always been her playful nickname for Vriska "—but when I tried to talk to her yesterday, she wouldn't even look at me. She doesn't talk to anyone anymore."

"Not even her other friends?"

"She doesn't _have_ any other _fur_iends. I'm—well, I _was—_her only one. Now... I don't think she wants anything to do with me."

Nepeta was his only friend, too. What was it about the lost, broken souls that they sought her out and clung to her? What was it that made Nepeta open her arms to welcome them? He was pretty sure she could be friends with just about anyone. She had a way of looking up at you and giggling, and it made you think that you might be the most important person to her right at that moment. She was his best friend, but it made him sad to think that maybe he wasn't _her_ best friend. "It was a rather traumatic experience," he said softly. "Perhaps she doesn't know how to handle it."

Nepeta giggled. "_Purr_haps. Still, I wish she would talk to me, at least a little." She stopped petting Pounce, and the cat wriggled out of her arms, gave her an affronted glare, and swooped off to the far corner of the backyard. "Let's keep playing. We can see who can climb the tree the fastest!" She jumped off his lap, gazing toward the top of the tree. It wasn't very high—only about twenty feet off the ground—but it was high enough to cause her mother to lurk at the window, her fingers waiting to dial 911 should she fall improperly. Nepeta figured she and Equius would be fairly evenly matched with this tree. After all, she had scaled it several times and she was quick, but Equius had the strength and height to pull himself up to the higher branches, whereas she often had to shimmy close to the trunk to get to the next ones. It would make for an exciting contest, and when they got back inside, maybe her mom would have hot cocoa waiting for them.

Her fingers were a bit numb from the slight chill in the air, and she flexed them to warm them up.

Together, they walked to the base of the tree and looked up. "On three?" Equius suggested.

She nodded, deciding on a branch and positioning herself under it.

"Three!" they yelled together, and they began their ascent up the tree. Nepeta used her fingernails and sneakers to get a good grip on the branch to hang from it slothlike and shimmy up it that way, while Equius took five long strides back and charged toward the tree trunk, lifting off the ground just long enough for him to reach a branch and pull himself up. He looked down—she was four feet below him, but if he crouched down, he could reach her—and threw out his arm. "Care for assistance?" he asked.

"Shoosh!" She batted his hand away and pulled herself up. "Keep going, _fur_-brain!"

He laughed and began climbing through the branches like a ladder.

She had tried that once, a long time ago. It might have seemed like the fastest way, but she knew a better way. She inhaled and exhaled slowly and then, with one solitary glance down, began hopping from branch to branch. It was easier for her this way, since she could still spring. Heaving around all fifty pounds of her weight was a bit much for her and it winded her. Still, Equius had a fair lead on her. It didn't worry her, not really, but she watched him anyway. He'd never climbed this tree before. It wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility for him to—

There came the sound of something scraping against wood overhead, and Nepeta's gaze bolted straight up. As if in slow motion, she saw Equius's fingers scrabbling for something to hang onto and his sneakers slipping down the tree trunk. She was unaware of ever consciously deciding on a course of action, but somehow, she must have. She timed it just perfectly, leaping from her branch and colliding with Equius in midair to send them both flying into another branch.

Fortunately, Equius was able to react quick enough to grab onto it. His eyes were wide with terror and he was white-knuckling the branch as he struggled to swing his leg over it and get a better grip on it, but he was definitely not falling anymore. "Fiddlesticks," he muttered. "Pardon my vulgarity," he added with a glance toward Nepeta.

She giggled and ruffled his hair, easily pulling herself to straddle the branch. "Wanna keep going?"

"GET DOWN FROM THERE THIS INSTANT!"

The two of them looked down, and there was Mrs. Leijon and Mr. Zahhak standing beneath the tree. Both adults looked in equal parts furious and concerned, and Nepeta and Equius exchanged glances. "I guess not," she grumbled.

They slowly descended and dropped reluctantly to the ground, unwilling to face the wrath of their respective parent. Mr. Zahhak looked less angry than Mrs. Leijon, but not by much. He flew to Equius's side and looked him over for a moment. "Are you hurt?"

"No, Father."

"Can't you call me 'Dad'?"

A momentary look of _are you kidding me right now_ crossed Equius's face but melted into an expression of neutrality and he remained silent.

Mrs. Leijon, on the other hand, was livid. "What were you thinking?" she demanded. "You know I don't like it when you climb trees! And then to pull him into it, too—and don't give me that look, young lady, I _know_ it was your suggestion! You could have gotten killed!"

"But we didn't!" Nepeta shot back. "He caught himself! We're not stupid!"

Mrs. Leijon groaned.

"Actually, I saw what happened. He didn't catch himself," Mr. Zahhak said. "You pushed him to safety."

"He caught himself," Nepeta muttered petulantly.

Mrs. Leijon rubbed the bridge of her nose and addressed Mr. Zahhak. "I'm sorry—I should have known she was going to suggest something like that."

He cracked a small smile. "You did mention the gymnastics."

"Alright, you two. No more tree climbing. That tree is off-limits from now on—do you understand me?"

Visibly sulking, Nepeta nodded. "Yes, Mom," she grumbled.

"Alright." She couldn't stay mad at Nepeta for long—she had too much of her father in her for that. "Go inside and wash your hands and we'll make some lunch, okay?"

Nepeta and Equius's faces brightened at the prospect of food and, with a quick nod from Mr. Zahhak, Equius charged after Nepeta into the kitchen.

"It would appear she returned the favor," Mr. Zahhak murmured once Nepeta and Equius were inside.

"What do you mean?"

"Equius has told me several times that Nepeta believes he saved her life the day of the accident. Whether that's true or not is up for debate, but it's what she believes. And today, she might have just saved his life."

"It was her fault."

"True, but she didn't intend for it to happen."

"I suppose we can't very well keep them apart anymore, can we?"

"Nope. I do believe they are stuck together for a good long while. But I'm glad. Before Equius met Nepeta, he hardly ever smiled and he hated to go to school. Now, he's almost always smiling, and—well, he still doesn't like school, but at least he looks forward to something. He's lucky to have her."

* * *

**No promises that I won't update another story when I shouldn't... I did a very bad thing...**


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